euronews: “From the point of view of communities, in this case the Jewish and Muslim communities, what psychological interplay is involved in these cases?”

Romano: “It can lead to people feeling like very persecuted victims, along the lines of, ‘we were killed because we’re Jews!’ Or: ‘we were killed because we’re Muslim!’ There are various confusions. We feel like taking positions. It doesn’t allow much of a margin for trust in the other. Communities hardening feelings that they are being persecuted can make difficulties worse. Here’s an example: the minute of silence observed in schools. There were some very aggressive reactions in some state schools where most of the students are Muslims, because it was a minute of silence related to what had happened in a Jewish school. Aggression can be created when either side feels attacked by the other. Political leaders play an essential role in trying to contain these difficulties, and not making them bigger.”